MUMBAI: While the country is currently engulfed with football fever with the ongoing Hero Indian Super League, cricket fans are in for some good news. The league that started it all, Pepsi Indian Premier League, in its eighth season, is set to kick off on 8 April 2015, and conclude on 24 May 2015.

The first trading window for the tournament opened on 6 October 2014. So far two players have been traded; Mumbai Indians have acquired Unmukt Chand from Rajasthan Royals and R Vinay Kumar from Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively.

 Chand had led the India Under-19 cricket team to the U-19 Cricket World Cup victory in 2012. During the IPL season seven he was bought for Rs 65 lakhs by Rajasthan Royals. Vinay Kumar was picked up by KKR for Rs 2.8 crore.

Mumbai Indians have also released Michael Hussey and Praveen Kumar (Pepsi IPL 2014 replacement player), both of whom may enter the Pepsi IPL 2015 Player Auction.

The first trading window will close on  12 December 2014.

Meanwhile, BCCI hon. secretary Sanjay Patel said that the IPL governing council has also decided the windows for the 2016 and 2017 seasons of the tournament. Further mentioning the dates, he said, “The Pepsi IPL 2016 will be played in the window between 8 April 2016 and 29 May 2016 while IPL 2017 will be played from 5 April 2017 to 21 May 2017.” 

The previous seventh season was won by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).